They didn’t say a word, but their eyes stayed fixed on Christopher as he was led past the tall grandfather clock.

Christopher stumbled on the rug near the front door, and his shoulder hit the curved oak banister with a heavy thud.

He started to sob, loud, ragged sounds that bounced off the high plaster ceiling.

As he pulled his arm against the officer’s grip, the gold cufflink on his left sleeve snapped loose from the linen.

It dropped onto the polished hardwood and rolled across the floorboards, stopping right against the toe of my shoe.

Nobody bent down to pick it up.